IMHO.

Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove vs Escape 2042 - The Truth Defenders

Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove and Escape 2042 - The Truth Defenders both land in Action, Indie, Adventure on Steam, which is why they keep getting compared. The comparison below is built from each game's Steam metadata — release year, genres, categories, Steam Deck status, price, and review score — refreshed daily by imho.run's scraper. Headline differences: Both share Action, Indie, Adventure on Steam. Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove (2014) is 3 years older than Escape 2042 - The Truth Defenders (2017). Escape 2042 - The Truth Defenders is currently ~85% cheaper on Steam than Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove (5.99 USD vs. 39.99 USD). No login or purchase needed — scroll for the full table, the verdict FAQ, and links to ranked similar games for both titles.

Which should you pick?

Choose Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove

Choose Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove if you want the Multi-player, Shared/Split Screen, and Shared/Split Screen PvP side of the pairing. On Steam, it's Steam Deck Verified, so handheld play works out of the box. 9,963 Steam reviews back the pick.

Choose Escape 2042 - The Truth Defenders

Choose Escape 2042 - The Truth Defenders if it's currently about 85% cheaper on the Steam Store. Escape 2042 - The Truth Defenders launched in 2017.

Both Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove and Escape 2042 - The Truth Defenders sit in Action, Indie, and Adventure on Steam, so either pick lands in the same broad neighborhood. Use the side-by-side table for the feature view, or follow the "Games like" links below to see ranked alternatives for either title.

Side-by-side comparison

Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove vs Escape 2042 - The Truth Defenders — Steam metadata comparison
Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove — Steam game coverShovel Knight: Treasure TroveEscape 2042 - The Truth Defenders — Steam game coverEscape 2042 - The Truth Defenders
Released20142017
GenresAction, Indie, AdventureAction, Indie, Adventure
PlatformsWindows, macOS, LinuxWindows, Linux
Steam DeckDeck VerifiedUnrated
Price39.99 USD5.99 USD
Steam reviews95.7% positive (9,963 reviews)2 reviews
MultiplayerMulti-player, Shared/Split Screen Co-op, Co-opSingle-player only
DevelopersYacht Club GamesOrionSoft

Side by side

Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove vs Escape 2042 - The Truth Defenders — FAQ

Should I play Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove or Escape 2042 - The Truth Defenders first?
If you want chronology, Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove (2014) came out before Escape 2042 - The Truth Defenders (2017). If neither is a sequel to the other, order doesn't really matter — start with whichever fits your current mood, since both share enough on Steam to make either a reasonable opener.
Are Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove and Escape 2042 - The Truth Defenders similar?
They overlap on Action, Indie, Adventure on Steam, so the catalogue groups them together — but "similar" depends on the specific mechanics. Use the genre + category rows above to decide whether the overlap matches what drew you to the one you've already played.
Does Escape 2042 - The Truth Defenders have multiplayer like Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove?
No. Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove supports multiplayer on Steam (Multi-player, Shared/Split Screen Co-op, Co-op), while Escape 2042 - The Truth Defenders is listed as single-player only.
Does Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove run on Steam Deck?
Yes — Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove is rated Deck Verified by Valve. Escape 2042 - The Truth Defenders doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.
Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove vs Escape 2042 - The Truth Defenders · imho.run